6/13/97
PEOPLE HIRED UNDER AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLANS WORK WELL MSU STUDY SAYS
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Affirmative action does not lead to the hiring of minorities or women with substantially lower qualifications or who exhibit weaker job performances, according to a recent Michigan State University study.
"We interpret our study as indicating that most groups of women and minorities perform their jobs as well as white men whether or not the company has an affirmative action program in place," said Harry Holzer, professor of economics and co-author of the study.
Results of the study were based on a survey of 3,200 employers in four major metropolitan areas in the United States. It used data on employers and employees to determine whether minority or female employees hired under affirmative action are less qualified compared to other groups of workers.
The study's measures of qualifications included level of education achieved, skills required for the job, and job performance.
"On average, we found some evidence that minorities hired under affirmative action have lower educational attainment and are somewhat more likely to fall short of formal educational requirements, but this shortfall is reflective of an economywide shortfall in educational attainment among minorities," said David Neumark, professor of economics and study co-author. "Our results suggest that most women or minorities hired under affirmative action make up in some other way for the educational shortfalls in qualifications that we find."
The study also found that while companies are hiring fewer white males they are not hiring less qualified women and minorities in their place.
Media contact Ron Collins, Media Communications, at (517) 355-2281
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